If Not In This Life, Then In The Next
by AlucardxxHellsing
Summary: After Aizen's betrayal, he along with Gin Ichimaru and Kaname Tosen flee to Hueco Mundo to begin their diabolic plan to destroy Soul Society. Aizen is even aware that a team of high ranking captains is being assembled to track them down and stop them. The captains are not aware that Aizen himself has already prepared an army to combat the soul reapers far ahead of time.
1. Chapter 1- Departure

If Not In This Life, Then In The Next

A Bleach FanFic

Prologue

After Aizen's betrayal, he along with Gin Ichimaru and Kaname Tosen flee to Hueco Mundo to begin their diabolic plan to destroy Soul Society. Aizen is even aware that a team of high-ranking captains is being assembled to track them down and stop them. The captains are not aware that Aizen himself has already prepared an army to combat the soul reapers far ahead of time. This is the story of the events that took place.

Chapter 1- Departure

It is a very cold and windy night in the Seireitei. It has been nearly two weeks since Aizen's betrayal and the Soul Society has been busy rebuilding much of what was destroyed. Commander Yamamoto along with the help of Captain Retsu Unohana has spent much of these two weeks preparing for this night. This is the night they go after Aizen.

The wind picks up and howls as the team stands ready, waiting for the commander to give the order to open the senkaimon.

"I have no doubt men, that you will complete this mission and restore peace and justice to the Soul Society. Do your duties as a soul reaper and make me proud. Aizen, Gin, and Tosen are to be eliminated on sight, do not show mercy." The old man bellows loudly to his troops.

Storm clouds begin to gather overhead and the full moon is soon dimmed and it gets even darker. Lightning cracks and thunder booms in the distance.

"Yes Commander!" The six man team answers back proudly to their commander.

Rain begins to fall lightly as the team turns towards the senkaimon. The old man nods towards the gate-keeper and a bright white light pierces the darkness as the gate opens. Unohana stands next to the gate to see each member off personally. She bids each a farewell and good luck as they depart.

The first member comes forward. The tall scruffy giant of a beast lumbers forward and bows to her. Bowing in return she offers. "Good luck Captain Komamura." He nods to her and proceeds through the gate.  
The second member approaches. His small form is instantly recognized by Unohana. He wears a gaze of uneasiness upon his face as he approaches. Bowing to each other she advices. "Take good care of the captains, Hanataro Yamada. You're one of our best healers, I know you will do me proud." She smiles and he returns it with his own.

The third man comes now, the grin on his face is almost terrifying, as if he has looked forward to this his whole life. It doesn't come as a surprise to Unohana, let alone anybody else. "Be safe Captain Zaraki." She bids. Zaraki laughs in his throat and retorts. "No worries, those guys don't stand a chance against me! We'll be back in time for morning tea!" He bellows and walks through the gate.

Kenpachi's vice captain, Yachiru is standing off to the side as she watches her captain leave. "Bye Kenny! I'll see you soon! Have a great time!" The small girl cheers. Her smile grows as she hears his voice echo from the gate. "Hold down the fort while I'm away Yachiru."

As Unohana turns, she sees the fourth member coming. His stride is steady and swift. He wears no expression on his face at all. His jet black hair flows with the wind as he walks. To the side, his sister-in-law watches him depart. He stops briefly and turns to her.

"I'll return soon, Rukia. Watch over the mansion and remember what I told you." He speaks without much emotion. But Rukia can hint at what he truly means. Bowing to him she speaks softly. "Yes Nii-sama, please come back safe." He nods and continues on.

"See you soon Captain Kuchiki." Unohana says while bowing. He nods again and bows likewise then proceeds through.

The fifth man steps forwards now. He is the director of the Research and Development Department and some call him a madman of science. Captain of the 12th Division, Mayuri Kurotsuchi. As he walks, he turns to his vice captain, Nemu Kurotsuchi and speaks in a high voice. "Make sure you keep the department in order Nemu. Don't give me reason to punish you upon my return."

Nemu, being of Mayuri's own creation, can only nod and accept his statement. "Yes Captain Kurotsuchi." She replies with a bow to him. And with that he continues.

"I do hope I can bring one of their bodies, they would make fine specimens don't you think?" Mayuri cackles as he approaches Unohana. Unohana can only stifle a grin as she bids him away.

The last member approaches now. A tall, slender young man, his blonde hair covers the left side of his face all the time. He is vice captain of the 3rd Division, Izuru Kira. Betrayed by his former captain, Gin Ichimaru, Izuru holds a very personal grudge.

He walks quickly to the gate and hardly gives Unohana a bow before continuing on through the gate. His scowl and anger he feels is very clear to all those around him. After he goes through, the gate closes and disappears and the crowd of spectators disperses. The mission is now officially underway.


	2. Chapter 2- The World Of The Living

Chapter 2- The World of the Living

It was a bright and shining afternoon in Karakura Town. The town looked so beautiful in the middle of October. The weather had gotten much cooler and the cherry blossoms were beginning to bloom. The town was really bustling. The stores and shopping malls were getting busy with everyone gearing up for the upcoming holidays.

At Karakura High, classes had just let out and students were rushing to go home or to the malls. Ichigo Kurosaki was one of the students planning on going straight home. After his return home from Soul Society, Ichigo had missed out on a lot of work and was doing double time to catch up. Thankfully, his oldest friend Tatsuki Arisawa along with Orihime Inoue helped him out.

As Ichigo began walking home, Tatsuki and Chizuru approached him. Chizuru was a tall red-headed girl with fancy red-rimmed glasses and large breast. She also had a big mouth and constantly chased Orihime everywhere.

"Hey Ichigo, you want to hit up the mall with us?" Tatsuki asked walking to Ichigo's right. Chizuru followed next to Tatsuki. "Yeah come with us Ichigo, Tatsuki is going to try on some skimpy outfits!"

"How many times do I have to say it!? I'm not doing that!" Tatsuki yelled back, almost wanting to give Chizuru an uppercut to the jaw.

"Look guys, thanks but I've got more homework to do so I'll catch you later." It wasn't so much that he had homework, he really just didn't want to go hang out with Chizuru. A person could only take so much of her, and he didn't want to spend anymore time with her than he had to.

Once home, He could immediately smell dinner cooking. Yuzu was in the kitchen doing all the cooking as usual. Isshin was busy working all the time and Karin would probably burn the house down if she even touched the stove. And the most he could make was a bowl of cereal himself.

"Dinner will be ready in 30 minutes Ichigo." Yuzu chimed happily from the kitchen as he walked by. Upstairs, he got started on his homework. 30 minutes later he went down for dinner. Isshin came in from work during dinner and immediately sat down at the table.

"How was everyone's day!?" Isshin yelled as he grabbed a plate and began gulping down his dinner. For the next hour Isshin and his two daughters chatted about their day and various events going on in the world. Ichigo was pretty numb to it all until his dad called out his name.

"Ichigo, are you catching up in your work? I don't want you flunking out boy." Isshin said pointing at him. "Don't worry dad, my grades are great, as usual." Ichigo sighed.

"Good, I hope you've practiced your defense stance then!" Isshin shouted, jumping up to attack Ichigo, only to be caught by Ichigo's right fist. "Damn it dad! I told you to stop doing that!" He shouted back. Karin and Yuzu just shook their heads.

After dinner Ichigo went back to his room. Upon entering, he noticed a message on his cell phone. He felt a little better after reading the text message.

From- Kuchiki Rukia  
To- Kurosaki Ichigo

Hey moron, haven't heard from you since you left. Hope all is well. I've finally been cleared to return to my post in Karakura Town. Isn't that wonderful? By the way, a team has been sent to take care of Aizen. So all this mess should be over soon. I'll meet you outside of school tomorrow. I've already told the others. See you then.

Putting his phone away, he walks to his window and stares into the night sky. His mind flashes back to the past two weeks. Since coming home from saving Rukia from her execution, life outside of his Shinigami duties hadn't changed much. Only his closest friends knew of his ability and he planned to keep it that way. He went over and sat on the edge of his bed and took out his combat pass. As he gripped the wooden object in his hand it suddenly went off.

A hollow? That's odd. There hasn't been a holllow sighting in Karakura for days now. Grabbing Kon he quickly switched to his soul reaper form and jumped from his window. Flash stepping from roof to roof Ichigo quickly found the hollow in the area. The huge snake-like creature was hovering over another helpless soul, cowering in a dark alleyway.

Thinking fast, Ichigo grasped Zangetsu and flash stepped behind the hollow. The hollow, sensing Ichigo's spiritual pressure, turned quickly to face him.

"Run! Get away from here!" Ichigo yelled to the soul in the alley.

Although scared out of his mind, the soul, a middle-aged man with glasses and brown hair, nodded and fled further down the alleyway to safety.

Shrieking, the hollow attacked, trying to bite Ichigo with its razor-sharp fangs. But he easily dodged the strikes one after the other. Leaping into the air, Ichigo brought his sword down right onto the hollows mask.

CRRRAAACK!

The hollows mask cracked and fell apart as Ichigo withdrew his Zanpaku-to. Letting out one last shriek, the hollow vanished into thin air. Sighing, Ichigo put his Zanpaku-to away and walked down the alley to find the lost soul.

After a couple of minutes he found him cowering behind some trash cans. Shaken, the soul spoke to him. "W-Who are you? Are you here to bring me to hell?" The soul asked. Flattered, Ichigo laughed slightly. "I'm substitute soul reaper Ichigo Kurosaki, and I'm here to pass you on to the Soul Society. It's a wonderful place where souls go after they die. You're not going to hell, you have my word." Ichigo said smiling warmly. This seemed to calm the man and he nodded. Ichigo then took the hilt of Zangetsu and performed the konso and the soul vanished.

"Hey Ichigo! Was there a hollow here just a minute ago?" A voice called from behind.

Ichigo turned to see his good friend Uryu Ishida approaching. The quincy was always quick to notice a hollow when one appeared, and he rarely missed his chance to slay one. Although the quincy and the soul reapers aren't allies, Uryu couldn't turn his back on a friend and fought alongside Ichigo and the others to save Rukia.

"Yeah but its alright Ishida, I took care of it." Ichigo explained as Uryu stood adjusting his glasses.

"Hmm. Very well Kurosaki. Guess I'm losing my edge." Ishida joked, giving Ichigo a sly grin and stare. "Did you hear that Kuchiki will be coming back tomorrow?"

Nodding slightly, Ichigo answered. "Yeah she told me. Hey maybe we'll all go do something after school tomorrow?" Ichigo offered to Ishida.

After thinking for a moment, Ishida answered. "Sure, I'll meet you there. I'll invite Sado and Orihime also."

With that the duo departed and headed to their homes. When Ichigo got home, everybody was in bed asleep. After switching back into his body, Ichigo jumped to the shower and then right to bed.


	3. Chapter 3- Arrival In Hueco

Chapter 3- Arrival In Hueco

In the dark, dead and lifeless desert that is Hueco Mundo, six soul reapers leap down from an open Garganta in the sky. Upon arriving, each member gazes upon the seemingly endless white sands and dunes. The air is stale and there is nothing to be heard. Kenpachi stares into the distance. He walks a few paces and stops. I don't feel anything. Not a single sign of any spiritual energy or life. A nervous Yamada approaches Zaraki's left side.

"I don't like the feel of this place, it's doesn't feel right." He says in a very nervous tone.

"They're here somewhere, and we're going to find them." Captain Komamura growls as he walks past the two. Nodding, Yamada falls in line behind the captain and Zaraki follows. Behind them Captain Kuchiki follows at a brisk pace. Peering through the darkness, he wonders why is the desert is so quiet. It's too quiet here. This place should be alive with hollows. Whats going on?

Vice captain Izuru follows behind Captain Kuchiki. Although he wants to find Gin as badly as he wants to kill him, he lingers in the rear of the group, taking his time. I'll find you, Gin. And when I do, I'll make you beg for death. Just you wait, you son of a bitch. You goddamned traitor.

Captain Mayuri walks in step with Izuru, taking samples of the air with a special device. The device scans the area for even the smallest hint of spiritual pressure for miles in any direction. Upon getting his fifth negative reading, Mayuri breaks the silence.

"I'm not sure what it is about this place, but all my readings have come back negative. Didn't reports say Hueco Mundo was infested with hollow activity?" He says to nobody in particular. Kenpachi's voice is heard in answer. "I don't know about that but we had better find something soon cause I'm ready to kick some ass!"

As they walked and the group chatted about various subjects, miles away, in a massive fortress known as Los Noches, Aizen and his army of arrancars and espada watch the groups progress with great interest. These men are unaware that this entire desert is under my watchful eye, I almost pity them, almost.

A knock comes on Aizens door and in walks a very pale man with black hair and wearing a cracked mask upon the left side of his face walks in. He boasts a hole in the middle of his chest and wears the number four over his heart. He is the 4th most powerful arrancar, Ulquiorra Schiffer.

"Lord Aizen, allow me to take care of these intruders." He says, his green eyes glaring at the image of the six soul reapers crossing the desert. Aizen turns in his chair to face Ulquiorra as he finishes speaking. Aizen grins and gives a chuckle.

"Gather the men in the breifing room. I'll give the orders then." Aizen says quickly. Ulquiorra bows slightly and leaves the room to gather the men. Minutes later, Tosen enters. "So this is who they send to stop us? It's almost laughable isn't it?"

"It is. But I must say I expected that we would have more time before they sent a party. We'll keep them entertained for a while. Then we'll crush them. And there will be nobody to stand in our way." Aizen said with an evil grin as he held the Hogyoku in his hand.

Thirty minutes later, Aizen called his men together in the briefing room. The room was large and had a massive table in the center. Aizen alone sat at the head of the table with Gin and Tosen standing at either side of him. The arrancars filed in and sat at both sides of the table, all facing each other. After everyone had settled, Aizen began.

"As most of you may be aware. The Soul Society has dispatched a search party to exterminate us. Of course, we cannot allow this. This group is relatively small but it consist of capable members of the 13 Court Guard Squads. The key is to split them up and fight them one on one. Are there any questions?" Aizen finished, looking around at the arrancars. A few members spoke.

"Do you want us to kill them right away or just hurt them?" A spiky blue-haired and blue-eyed arrancar asked quickly.

"Toy with them if you like, entertain them, but I want them dead. They are no good alive Grimmjow." Aizen states just as quickly as Grimmjow voiced the question.

"Who will be the ones to intercept them?" An arrancar with shoulder-length blonde hair and glasses says from across the table.

"Only a couple of you. Some of the lower ranking arrancar will be on them soon. I want those of you that I choose to finish off the ones that actually make it to Los Noches." Aizen says in a sly and sinister voice. Aizen can hint at the arrancars disappointment but reassured him. "Don't worry Szayelaporro, you'll get your chance at blood."

Once it seemed everybody had been satisfied, Aizen stood up and spoke as he walked around the table. He stopped at each arrancar and assigned them to their duties.

"Grimmjow, wait in your quarters until the enemy approaches. I will make sure they find their way to you." Aizen then walked over to a second arrancar. This arrancar has a very sinister attitude and lust for battle. He wears an eye patch that covers the hole wear his left eye should be and has long black hair. He is the 5th strongest arrancar, Nnoitora Gilga.

"Gilga, I want you to greet our guests at the door. Make sure only one gets past you. Like I said, splitting them up is key." Nnoitora grinned evilly. "No problem Lord Aizen.

Satisfied, Aizen walks over to Tosen and Gin and nods to them. They nod back and shout in unison. "You men are dismissed!" And with that, the arrancars stand and file out one by one. After all had left, Gin turns towards Aizen. "You think it's a good idea to let the captains so close to Los Noches?" This makes Aizen laugh.

"Do you doubt me Gin? You think they can beat us?" Aizen says turning to Gin and glaring. Gin immediately rejects his statement. "Theres nothing to worry about, even if all the arrancars were to be defeated, not even all of the thirteen guard squads could defeat the three of us." Aizen sneered.


	4. Chapter 4- Happy Reunions

Chapter 4- Happy Reunions

After school the next day Ichigo, Orihime, Sado and Uryu all met in the courtyard and waited for Rukia to arrive. They didn't have to wait long for the short, petite and black-haired Shinigami to arrive. As she approached she greeted each of them warmly, giving them a heart-felt thanks for everything they did for her back in Soul Society.

"So where are we going from here?" Rukia asked after all small talk had been established.

"Well I figured we could go to the mall and do some shopping." Orihime chirped happily. Everyone agreed and the group set off towards the Karakura Mall. It wasn't far from the school and the group soon arrived. They talked and laughed and Rukia and Orihime shopped for hours. At least it seemed that long to Ichigo.

Once the girls had their fill of shopping, Chad suggested they head to the food court for some dinner. "Yeah lets get something to eat. Taking girls shopping is hungry work." Ichigo joked and Rukia shot him a playful glare. "I'll remember you said that strawberry." As they entered the food court, they decided on tofu and sat down in an empty part of the court to eat and chat.

"So hows the situation with Aizen coming along Ms. Kuchiki?" Uryu asked once he had taken his seat. Not looking up from her food, Rukia answered. "Well Yamamoto just sent a team of four captains, along with a vice captain and Hantaro Yamada to chase him down. So I'm sure it will be resolved soon." I hope.

"So you aren't worried at all?" Sado spoke up next. "Not really. I mean they sent Captain Zaraki along with Nii-sama, Captain Mayuri and Captain Sajin."

Although Ichigo tried to seem calm, inside he could feel something didn't feel right. Aizen is extremely powerful. Yamamoto knows that, and yet he only sends a small team to track him down? I just don't see this ending well at all.

As it began to get later the group began to retire home. Ichigo said farewell to his friends and then looked to Rukia who had just said farewell to Orihime. She seemed almost unsure of where to go.

"Where will you be staying?" Ichigo asked standing next to her. She turned to him and shrugged. "I'm not sure. I guess Urahara's shop. If that's fine with him." She sighed, not seeming at all happy about it. Noticing this Ichigo offered an alternative. "You can always stay with us Rukia, you don't have to ask."

Rukia smiled brightly upon hearing this. "Thanks Ichigo. I was actually hoping you would say that, cause I'm looking forward to decorating that drab little closet of yours. I bought a bunch of stuff today to make it look spiffy." She said proudly, holding up several bags of items. Ichigo noticed several of the bags came from the malls chappy store. Oh my god, not chappy. That stupid bunny will be the death of me!

Ichigo helped Rukia carry her things to his home and she quickly got settled in just as she had several weeks earlier. Rukia had to admit, she like living in the Kurosaki home. Yuzu and Karin were always easy to get along with and Isshin pratically called her his third adopted daughter. She felt just like family. It was much easier living there than in the Kuchiki manor. Not that she didn't like her home back in Soul Society, but here she didn't have to worry about living like a noble. She really did prefer it this way.

Once Ichigo got ready for bed he walked into his room to settle in. Upon entering, he noticed Rukia in his closet, putting up stickers of chappy and a small nightlight and calendar and things of the sort. Ugh. I just hope nobody sees all this chappy stuff.

Sitting on his bed, Ichigo decided to bug her. "Hey midget, you think you bought enough chappy gear to last you four years?" Rukia immediately swung around to face him. The look she gave him told him he was about to hear it.

"That's real funny moron. Sure, make fun of my height and my hobby at the same time. That's really rich Ichigo. Did you rescue me just so you could tease me all the time?" Rukia half joked.

Laying back in his bed Ichigo snorted. "You know, I still haven't figured that one out yet." Rukia continued to glare at him. "What an asshole you are."

"I'm just kidding Rukia, jeez take a hint." Ichigo said, a little annoyed that she didn't play along.

Sighing, Rukia sat on her futon in the closet and stared into the room. "I know you are Ichigo."

"So what are you so uptight for?" Ichigo asked, wondering if she would actually tell him.

Rukia, not wanting to tell him the truth, came up with a quick white lie. "Nothing, I'm just sleepy. See you in the morning Ichigo." And with that she tucked herself into the closet and closed the door, leaving only a slight crack open for fresh air.

The next morning as Ichigo rose to get out of bed, he noticed everybody was already up and eating breakfast. Looking at his bedside alarm clock he was shocked to see it was almost ten. How in the hell did I sleep this late? I'm always one of the first ones up. Quickly getting dressed, he headed downstairs.

"Well good to see somebody is finally up." Karin said as her brother walked into the kitchen. Ichigo just waved her comment off. "Good morning Karin."

"You know somebody could've woke me up." Ichigo stated sitting down at the table. Yuzu gave a response as she and Rukia came in from the living room. "Sorry brother, Rukia said you wanted to sleep in today."

Hearing this, Ichigo shot Rukia a look. I said no such thing. Is she trying to mess with me? Whats with her?

Seeing his glare, Rukia responded. "Oh don't give me a look Ichigo, I was just kidding around." She said as she began helping Yuzu with the dishes. Erasing his glare, Ichigo cracked a smile. "Alright, I'll remember this one, Rukia. But beware, I'll get you back." This just made Rukia laugh. Everything seems to be returning to normal.


	5. Chapter 5- First Encounters

Chapter 5- First Encounters

In Hueco Mundo, the team continued to make its way through the desert. The walk was silent for the most part. But now and then somebody would hear growls or screams of some sort. "Just keep moving." Captain Sajin would growl. "We're only here for the three traitors. We don't attack anything else unless directly engaged with it."

Peering through the dark, Captain Sajin suddenly caught sight of something. As they walked closer, he could make out the shape and size of it. It was a massive fortress. The others saw it as well and stopped. After surveying the structure, Captian Mayuri pushed past Sajin. "Well lets not just stand here, lets find a way in and kill those bastards!" But just as he said this, the ground shook and an explosion of sand and wind blasted the group.

Through the dense cloud of sand, two figures appeared. Standing right in front of the team, they clearly were not friendly. As they stepped forward they introduced themselves.

"Hello intruders, I am D-Roy Rinker. I'm arrancar No. 16." D-Roy spoke. He wore a large football-shaped mask with covered most of his face, a cloth covers a wound he sustained from an attack by Grimmjow. A hole also appears in the middle of his chest.

"And I am Shawlong Qufang. I am arrancar No. 11." Shawlong introduced. His hair was tied back into a tight single pigtail. His mask was like a horned-helmet and half a facemask, covering his left eye. Taking another step forward, the two arrancars surveyed the soul reapers that stood before them. Is this really all they sent? How sad.

"Well thanks for the kind intros, but that's not what we came here for!" Kenpachi roared, launching himself towards D-Roy. But D-Roy used his sonido to avoid the blow. "What was that?" Kenpachi said, wheeling around to face D-Roy again.

Laughing, D-Roy explained. "That was what we arrancar call sonido. It's the equivalent to your shunpo or flash step. Possibly even faster, as you can see."

Wheeling back around, Kenpachi drew his sword and attacked again. D-Roy also drew his and the two commenced in a battle of pure strength. Sparks flew as the two swords clashed again and again. Kenpahci roared as he brought his blade down and rained blows on D-Roy. "Come on! I know you can do better than this!" Kenpachi yelled as he began pushing D-Roy back.

Shawlong, who had watched, decided to get in on the fight. But as he began to approach the dualing duo, he was confronted by another soul reaper.

"Where do you think you're going?" Captain Sajin said, approaching Shawlong. Shawlong grinned. "So I guess you will be my opponent no?" He got his answer when Sajin unsheathed his Zanpakuto-to.

"The rest of you get going towards the fortress! Zaraki and I will take care of these guys!" Captain Sajin yelled at the rest of the group as he clashed with Shawlong.

Hearing this, Izuru, Byakuya, Yamada and Mayuri flash stepped away from the fighting and headed towards the fortress.

"You know, you probably shouldn't have sent them away." Shawlong boasted as he fought Sajin away from him. Regaining his footing Sajin growled. "Do you really think I need their help to defeat you?!" And he charged at the arrancar again. Knocking the captains swing aside, Shawlong grinned. "This is going to be fun."

D-Roy fought hard against Kenpachi, but even the arrancar had to admit, the captain had a load of fighting strength. As he fought to defend and deflect the captains blows, Kenpachi's swings found their marks. Little by little, D-Roy took slashes and cuts all over his body.

"Whats wrong? Getting tired already? I haven't even begun to fight!" Kenpachi roared. Regaining his breath, the arrancar assessed his condition. This bastard is strong. If I don't get serious, and fast, I'll be done for. I can't allow him to reunite with his friends.

"I'll admit, captain, you are strong. The strongest I've ever faced. But I too, haven't begun to fight either." He said in a venomous tone. Taken back, Kenpachi stood puzzled for a moment. Suddenly, before Kenpachi could react, D-Roy used his sonido to disappear then reappear right behind him. There was a sudden pause, then blood shot forth from the captains chest. D-Roy had used a sharp attack to punch a hole right through his chest.

Gasping, Kenpachi fell to his knees as D-Roy tore his arm from Zaraki. Observing his arm, he smirked. "Pity, I really thought you could've evaded that attack."

Grunting, Zaraki got back to his feet. Much to the surprise of D-Roy, who stood there, wide-eyed.

Dropping his sword, D-Roy held up his hand again. "Fine. I'll make this one go through your head. It'll be quick and painless soul reaper." And he charged at Zaraki using sonido.

Just as his hand was about to make contact, it was caught by Kenpachi's massive hand. Shocked, D-Roy attempted to break free, but the captain only held it tighter. What the hell? How could he just stop my attack dead like this? And why can't I break free!?

"You little shit. Now its my turn to have some real fun." And with that, Kenpachi squeezed the arrancars hand hard enough to break the bones inside. D-Roy screamed in pain and struggled again. Smiling, Kenpachi brought his sword up quickly, taking the arrancars arm off at the elbow.

D-Roy stumbled backwards, holding his bleeding limb tightly. Throwing the severed arm aside, Kenpachi glanced towards Sajin, who was in a tight battle. Facing D-Roy again he smirked.

"A pity you dropped your sword, it could've saved your life just now. But I won't feel sorry for your own mistakes. But I can't let this fight end now. Pick it up arrancar, and fight me!" He yelled, poised to strike.

Although shocked and badly wounded, D-Roy knew he couldn't go down without a fight. Picking up his sword again, he took a fighting stance. "Come at me, soul reaper. Lets finish this."


	6. Chapter 6- Disturbing Developments

Chapter 6- Disturbing Developments

In Karakura town, life was going on as usual, at least for the most part. Ichigo and his friends went to school and hung out together most days. Hollows appeared now and then and Ichigo and Rukia took care of them. Things seemed to be going so smoothly. Almost too smoothly for Rukia.

It was a Friday, and Ichigo and his family were having a movie night. As the gang laughed and joked about the movie, Ichigo could tell something was bothering Rukia. She sat and watched the movie, but it didn't seem she was really watching it. Her mind was elsewhere and Ichigo could tell. As the movie came to an end, the gang disbanded and everyone went to bed. As Ichigo and Rukia made their way upstairs and into his room, he confronted her.

"Hey, is there something wrong Rukia? You weren't very talkative tonight." Ichigo asked as he sat on his bed and watched Rukia walk to the closet. Hearing him, she stopped and turned to him.

"Its nothing Ichigo. Why would something be wrong? Everythings been great the past few days." She said in a somewhat normal tone. Before she could give him a chance to respond she ended the conversation with a short "Goodnight Ichigo" then crawled into her bed and shut the door.

Sure. I'll find out what it is sooner or later Rukes. Ichigo thought to himself as he lay in bed and was soon asleep.

The next morning Ichigo was woken up by a shrill sound coming from somewhere in his room. Jumping out of bed he immediately knew it was coming from Rukia's closet. What in the world could that be?

Walking to the closet he slowly opened the door. Upon opening it, he could clearly see Rukia was not there, but her soul pager was going off like crazy. Picking it up and flipping it open he could see it had picked up several hollow signatures nearby.

"Rukia! Where are you!?" He yelled as he ran out of the room. As he ran down the hall he collided with her just as she was exiting the bathroom.

"Ow! Watch it moron!" She yelled as she pushed him away and rubbed her forehead.

"No time for fighting, there's three hollows out there according to your soul pager!" Ichigo yelled and began running for the door. But before he could reach it, Rukia grabbed the back of his shirt and yanked him back. "What the hell are you doing? We've gotta take care of this!" He yelled as he struggled against her.

"Calm down Ichigo. There aren't any hollows around. This pagers been broken for the past week now. I've already placed an order with Urahara for a new one."

"Huh? Are you sure?" Ichigo asked quickly, glaring at her. "Yes Ichigo, I'm sure. Use your head. Do you feel any spiritual signatures nearby?"

Glancing around for a second, Ichigo had to admit, he didn't feel any abnormal signatures anywhere. Shaking his head he agreed with her. "Sorry. I guess I got ahead of myself." Rukia just scoffed. "Forget it. I should've told you. That's my bad."

Sighing, Ichigo turned and walked back to his room and put the soul pager back in the closet. Just as he was about to go back to bed, the pager went off again. Irritated, he picked it up again and was about to throw it against the wall when he suddenly realized it wasn't a hollow alert. It was a message from Urahara. Ichigo quickly read it and then headed downstairs to see Rukia.

From: Kisuke Urahara  
To: Kuchiki Rukia

Rukia, there's been some disturbing developments in the Soul Society. There are scattered rumors that a new Central 46 is being appointed to run the Seireitei. But there is a lot tension building. It seems these new men are not to be trusted. Please meet with me at my shop at five o'clock.

Bolting downstairs, Ichigo grabbed Rukia, who was just about to get her breakfast. "What the-….Ichigo!" Pulling her out the front door, Rukia finally broke free of Ichigo's grasp. "Ichigo! What the hell is wrong with you now!?" Ichigo said nothing, but showed her the message on her pager. Her eyes went wide after reading it.

"A new Central 46? But how can that be? Commander Yamamoto is supposed to have full discretion over Soul Society until this tragedy has passed." She said in a puzzled tone. Finally Ichigo spoke. "Yeah. This doesn't sound good. Especially coming from Urahara."

Nodding in agreement, Rukia continued. "Come on, let's go inside and get ready. I think we've got a long day ahead of us Ichigo."

Later that day, Ichigo and Rukia headed to Urahara's shop. Urahara was quite pleased to see the two of them. "Please come in. We have a great deal to discuss." He said as they made their way inside. Once they had settled, Yoruichi greeted them and brought them each a cup of tea.

"Thanks Yoruichi." Ichigo said as she placed a cup in front of him and Rukia. Then Urahara walked in and sat across from them, sipping his own tea. "So I see you got my message, excellent." He started.

"Whats going on Urahara? Why and how is this happening?" Rukia asked without hesitation. There was a level of real concern in her tone.

"Why is not really clear at this point. But the how is very clear indeed." He said, setting his cup down. "Well? What is it?" Ichigo pressed.

"Well, a group of highly recommended officials is poised to replace Central 46. And unfortunately, the law of the Seireitei states that there must be a government in place. Even in times of emergency, such as Aizens betrayal. That's how they are seizing power. The real concern is, that after I did some research on each branch member, I noticed that each of these men had ties to Aizen in some way in the past. This is something most don't know, since many don't look that far back. Especially in these times of war." Urahara finished, waiting for his words to sink in.

"Isn't there something Yamamoto can do?" Ichigo asked quickly. Shaking his head, Urahara explained. "I wish he could. But as you know, the thirteen guard squads are under the direct jurisdiction of Central 46. There is little he can do without being called a traitor himself."

Rukia shook her head in disbelief and retorted. "So you mean there is nothing we can do about this? We just have to sit back and let it happen?" Urahara nodded slowly. "Unfortunately yes. There is little anyone can do, unless the members pass unjust laws. In which the court guard squads could vote to remove them from power. But its only after the fact."

Yoruichi, standing in the corner, spoke now. "This is most disturbing."

Ichigo and Rukia looked at each other blankly. "Disturbing developments indeed."


	7. Chapter 7- Second Encounters

Chapter 7- Second Encounters

The four remaining soul reapers continued to gain ground towards Los Nachos fortress. As they got closer, Byakuya could see a door at the center of one of the great walls. Pointing towards it, the others followed. After a few minutes of running and flash stepping, the group finally reached the doorway.

The door was massive and made of steel and looked to be bolted shut. Mayuri did a quick assessment then turned to Byakuya. "How do you suppose we get through this? Certainly you don't expect us to knock?"

"Don't be a simpleton Captain Mayuri." Izuru said stepping up to the door. Holding up his had he showed them the solution. "Hado No. 33 Sokatsui" The door was blown apart by the kido. Stepping aside, Izuru allowed the captains to go first and he and Yamada followed.

Entering the fortress, the group walked into a huge room with several door-sized openings, each leading to a different part of the fort. The room was dimly lit, but bright enough to see clearly. "Where do we go now?" Yamada asked nervously looking around.

"I'll go one way, Izuru come with me, and Yamada you can go with Kuchiki." Mayuri stated as he began to walk in one direction. Satisfyed with that decision, Izuru followed Mayuri and Yamada followed Byakuya.

After following a hall that seemed endless, Captain Mayuri and Izuru came to a room with very high ceilings and a table in the center. Sitting in a chair at the table was an arrancar. Turning in the chair, the arrancar acknowledged the soul reapers enter.

"What do we have here? Soul reapers? This must be my lucky day." Gilga said in a sinister whisper. "Oh, was our approach that noticeable?" Mayuri retorted, halting at the door.

Not wasting any time, Izuru flash stepped past Mayuri and attempted to attack Gilga. "I'm here for Gin!" He shouted. But Gilga didn't even dodge. As Izuru's sword collided with Gilga, it didn't even scratch him.

Withdrawing, Izuru stood wide-eyed as Gilga stood before him. "You fool. My Hierro is among the hardest of all the espada. None of your swords can hope to pierce it." Gilga then drew his own sword. "Now its my turn."

In seconds, Izuru knew he was in deep. Gilga was damn powerful. His swings were so powerful it shook the room with every clash. Flash stepping away Izuru activated his shikai. "Show yourself, Wabisuke!" After clashing with Gilga for several more minutes, Izuru couldn't believe Gilga could still lift his sword.

Whats going on? My shikai should've added twenty times more weight to his weapon. Is he really just that strong?

As they continued to clash, Mayuri watched from a distance. As he pondered whether he should join the fight, there came a voice from behind him. "It seems you have nobody to fight. Let me help you with that problem."

Mayuri swung around to see Grimmjow standing just feet behind him. "Wonderful. I was getting bored." He said as he drew his Zanpakuto-to. Grimmjow grinned and also drew his sword.

Sparks flew as their swords collided and the room shook with all the spiritual pressure being released. Grimmjow was extremely fast and he easily evaded Mayuri's swings.

"Very disappointing. I had figured a captain of the court guard squads would be tougher than this." Grimmjow boasted as he pressed his advantage.

"Don't get ahead of yourself, fool. I've not yet begin to fight." Mayuri warned. Grinning again, Grimmjow sneered. "If that's so, hit me harder!" And the captain took his advice. "Very well arrancar. Tear him up, Ashisogi Jizo!"

This hardly slowed Grimmjow's pace as he continued to attack with abandon. But it soon proved to be a fatal mistake. Failing to dodge a swing of Mayuri's blade, Grimmjow suddenly found his left arm completely stiff. Grinning, Mayuri took several more swings at Grimmjow's left leg. "What the hell?" The arrancar grimaced when he realized the power of the captains shikai. "You bastard!" He yelled, swinging at Mayuri with his only good arm. Mayrui stood just out of the arrancars reach and smiled. "I do think this battle is over." Then there came a yelp from across the room.

Mayuri turned to see Izuru had just sustained a severe wound to his right leg, and his opponent was standing over him, getting ready to deliver a final blow. As Gilga brought his sword down, Mayuri flash stepped in front of him and Mayuri felt the sword pierce his chest. "CAPTAIN!" Izuru screamed as the captain sunk to the floor.

"How honorable, but foolish." Gilga laughed as he pulled his sword from Mayuri's body, which was now limp on the floor.

"YOU BASTARD!" Izuru screamed and lunged for Gilga's throat, but his swing missed and Gilga pointed his sword to Izuru's face. "Make a move, and I'll end you right here." He sneered. Panting, Izuru dropped his Zanpakuto. "Guess this is it…"

The hall that Byakuya walked through was dark and quiet. It went on and on but led to no rooms or other passages. Behind him Yamada walked in close step, whimpering every once in a while. He was scared, as he always was. He never saw action so it was understandable to Byakuya.

When the spiritual signatures of both Captain Mayuri and Vice-Captain Izuru disappeared, a very worried Yamada began wondering. What happened? How badly are they hurt? Or could they even be dead? I really hope not. And where is Captain Zaraki and Captain Sajin?

Suddenly Yamada heard footsteps behind him. He and Byakuya both turned to see two very young arrancar females standing side by side, staring at them. One had black pig-tails and the number 33 on her neck. "I'm Loly Aivirrne, arrancar 33." She introduced in a sinister voice. The other had blonde spiky hair and the number 34 on her neck also. "I am Melony Mallia, arrancar 34."

Byakuya just eyed them intently. "It's very rude not to introduce yourself soul reaper. Didn't you know that?" Loly said glaring back.

"I-I-I'm Hanataro Yamada, a-and t-this is C-c-captain…"

"Enough Yamada." Byakuya cut the stuttering boy off. "There is no need for introductions. Our objective is clear, and unless these two intend on getting in our way, we have no need to interact with them." He said as he began to turn away, but Melony used her sonido and blocked Byakuya's path.

"Well that's just the thing…we don't intend on letting you wonder around here as you so please." Loly said. Byakuya lowered his gaze and sighed lightly. "Please don't engage us. I'm really not in the habit of engaging such a young and immature enemy."

But as he finished his sentence, Melony bolted towards Yamada, hitting him with a powerful spin-kick and tossing him into the wall. Melony then stepped aside her partner and grinned. "Well that was easy. I didn't want to do that, but that stupid voice of his was annoying me." She grinned. "Aren't you going to draw your sword?"

"No. My Zanpakuto is not for cutting down vermin such as yourselves." This pissed the two girls off and they both tried to attack Byakuya at the same time. Unphased, the captain muttered. "Bakudo No. 61 Rikujo Koro." The binding spell trapped Melony, but Loly continued to attack as Byakuya dodged her swings.

She was stunned when the captain caught her arm in mid-strike. How could he do that!? I was swinging as fast as I could, and yet he dodged them all, and even CAUGHT me? How? "You seem surprised…." Byakuya muttered, still holding Loly. "Help me Loly!" Melony screamed, trying helplessly to break the kido.

"A-are you going to kill me?" Loly asked, suddenly very afraid for her life. Without breaking his stare, the captain answered. "As I said before, my sword is not for vermin, the answer is no. However, I cannot allow you to pursue us if you wish to do so."

Loly's eyes went wide as Byakuya raised his other hand to her. "Bakudo No. 61 Rikujo Koro." With both arrancars trapped, Byakuya turned to Yamada, who was just recovering from his attack. "S-sorry Captain Kuchiki. I should've been better prepared."

Without a word, Byakuya turned and began walking and motioned for him to follow.


	8. Chapter 8 The New Rule Over Soul Society

Chapter 8- The New Rule Over Soul Society

Back in Soul Society there was great unrest as the new Central 46 took command. In his office, General Yammamoto stood at his window. Everyone is nervous about this new Central 46. I hope they do not give us reason to doubt them. If so, things are going to get very bad around here…. As he thought this, Captian Soi Fon entered.

"What is it?" The general growled, turning to face her.

"Sir, I came for a situation briefing. On the situation in Hueco Mundo." She said swiftly. Yammamoto wasted little time briefing her.

"Captain Sajin has just sent back a hell butterfly with some information. He and Zaraki engaged and defeated two arrancars while the others headed to the fortress where Aizen is believed to be hiding." He paused.

"Is that all commander?" Soi pressed for more information. Taking a breath, the commander finished his report. "However, he reports that Captain Mayuri and Vice-Captain Izuru's spiritual signatures have vanished…"

Soi was deeply concerned upon hearing this, and she quickly suggested another approach. "Sir, with all due respect, I believe we should send another group."

The general immediately answered her back in a gruff voice. "Do you not think I've suggested it to Central 46 already? They refused."

"But General please! We can't just leave them to die!" Soi raised her voice, her hands in fist's at her side. "For now we will stay this course until I can think of another plan!" The general yelled back. After a moment of silence, Soi Fon knew the general couldn't go against Central 46 either.

"Forgive me Commander." She said bowing then turned and left the office.

Meanwhile in the barracks of the sixth division, Vice-Captain Renji was talking on his soul pager to Rukia.

"We don't even know if Captain Mayuri and Izuru are even alive.." Came Renji's voice. "Are they going to send help?" Rukia asked urgently. She heard her friend sigh on the other end. "No…at least not now. This new Central 46 is shifty and they won't allow a rescue to be sent."

"…What do we do Renji?" Rukia asked, hoping he had thought of something. After a moment of silence, Renji answered. "Until we think of something over here, just stay put. I'll let you know when something comes up…" But Rukia couldn't accept that.

"No, I can't. WE can't. If Central 46 is governing the gates in Soul Society, then I'll go to Hueco Mundo with Urahara. He can help." Now Renji was concerned. "Rukia, you can't. If they catch you in the dangai they'll capture you and sentence you to death for offending their orders!"

"Then they'll have to kill me to stop me.." And the line went dead as she hung up. "RUKIA!" Renji yelled into the phone but she was already gone. Damnit Rukia. Don't get yourself caught. I'll help you as soon as I can. I promise.

At the Kurosaki clinic, Rukia turned to Ichigo, who had listened to the conversation. For a minute niether of them said anything. Then Ichigo finally broke the silence. "I'm not going to try to stop you. But I'm sure as hell going with you."

"You don't have to Ichigo. I'll be fine. Urahara will go with me." She said as she got her things together. "I don't care if he goes, I said I'm going." Ichigo retorted. Knowing there was no changing his mind, Rukia gave in. "Alright Ichigo. But what about the others? Sado, Uryu and Orihime? Are you going to tell them?" Rukia didn't want to put more of her friends in danger. But Ichigo's answer didn't help her at all. "Of course. We're all in this together. We've got to help each other don't we? That's what friends do."


	9. Chapter 9- No Light In The Darkness

Chapter 9- No Light In The Darkness

Kenpachi and Sajin had finally reached the fortress. Zaraki was still boasting to Sajin of his victory over the low-rank arrancar. "It was just childs play. If all our enemies are this easy, then I confess myself disappointed." Sajin cut him off with his own retort.

"I think the kiddy games are over.." The captain said in a very serious tone as he looked down to the floor. Zaraki did likewise and beholded a sight that made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. It was the bodies of Captain Mayuri and Izuru.

The two men lay crumbled on the floor, but Sajin could instantly tell they were not dead, just severely wounded. As Zaraki checked Izuru, Sajin looked over Mayuri. Who could have done this? Both men released their shikai, but yet there's no sign of a real fight…and where is Yamada and Kuchiki?

Then Kenpachi recognized Byakuya's spiritual pressure. "Kuchiki is still alive and is somewhere in this place, and I'm betting Yamada is with him." Then Sajin stood up. "We need to get Yamada back here to heal them, without his healing kido, they might not make it.." Kenpachi nodded in agreement.

"So who is going to stay here and watch over them?" Kenpachi asked quickly. Captain Sajin volunteered. "I'll stay, you find Yamada." And with that Kenpachi turned and began walking down one of the many halls. Hang in there guys. Help will be here soon.

Yamada stopped dead in his tracks. Byakuya, noticing this, stopped as well and turned to him. "What is it Hanataro?" The captain asked intently. Pausing for a second, the captain suddenly understood. The floor beneath them suddenly cracked and caved in. Byakuya and Yamada fell about 25 feet, ending up in a brightly lit room with blue walls.

Brushing himself off, Yamada asked. "What is this room? It's unlike anything else we've seen." Byakuya gazed at the room. There was a control console on the far wall. "This is obviously a trap." He said. Then a hidden door slid open and in walks a man with glasses. Szyayelaporro Grantz.

"How nice of you two to drop in like this. I've been waiting for someone to spring my little trap." Grantz said eyeing the two soul reapers. Yamada began to look very worried. "Now of course you men are here to kill our Lord Aizen, this of course I cannot permit." He said as he took a step towards Yamada and the door slid closed behind him.

Before he could reach him however, Byakuya flash stepped and blocked him. "Leave him out of this. If it is a fight you want, I am your opponent." Grantz grinned and took a step back. Taking a remote from his coat, he pressed a button and the console hummed to life and the room dimmed.

"Now this will be an interesting fight." Grantz sneered, unsheathing his sword. As he pointed his sword to the captain, Byakuya warned Yamada to stay back. Then the soul reaper drew his own Zanpakuto. "Attack, espada."

The two men clashed and sparks flew as their blades collided. Using sonido Grantz tried to outflank the captain. But Byakuya's adept skill and impressive speed blocked all of his swings. Leaping left and right, Grantz tried again to surprise Byakuya. But he saw every move and parried his sword again.

Then Byakuya used flash step to do the same, but the espada also kept up with his blows. "You are fast, soul reaper. I didn't expect anything less from a captain." Grantz grinned. Byakuya stayed silent and continued the fight. "It would seem you also possess impressive speed." Byakuya stated.

"However, speed isn't everything. Hado No. 4 Byakurai." Grantz winced slightly and backpeddled as the kido hit him in the arm. After a second, he laughed.

"That didn't even scratch my hierro. Is that all you've got?" He sneered. "Cause I've got something else to show you." The espada then took his sword and swallowed it whole. "Sip, La Lujuriosa." An explosion of light blinded the two soul reapers for a moment, and when the light dimmed again, Grantz was in his resurreccion form.

"Now, your move soul reaper." Grantz said with a hint of comedy. Byakuya only glared back at him and held out his sword. Turning it upside down, Byakuya then stated. "You're going to regret this. But I'll end this quickly for you." He then dropped the sword and it fell to the ground. "Ban-.." But instead of phasing through the floor, Byakuya's sword only clattered on the floor. Shocked, Byakuya looked wide-eyed at his sword.

Grantz laughed loudly now. Entertained by the captains shocked expression. "You fool. You've discovered another of my traps. This room is a sealing chamber. It seals most of your spiritual pressure away and prevents the use of bankai!"

Suddenly one of Grantz tentacles sprouted a small doll. A doll that looked just like Byakuya. "What is that supposed to be?" The captain asked.

"Oh this?" Grantz said grabbing the doll in his hand. "This is you. An uncanny resemblance if I do say so myself. It's purpose is this.." And he jabbed his finger into the dolls abdomen.

Byakuya cursed as he fell to one knee as a pain ripped through his body. Blood formed in his mouth which he spat up as he felt his organs being crushed from the inside. "Damn you…"

"Captain Kuchiki!? Are you alright?" Yamada said rushing to the captains side. "S-stay back Yamada. I'll hande t-this." The captain stuttered, getting back to his feet.

Grantz laughed again and yanked the dolls arm. Byakuya winced in pain as he felt his left arm dislocate from his shoulder. "As you can see, whatever I do to this doll, happens to you as well soul reaper."

Then there was a low rumbling and everyone began looking around to see where it was coming from. Suddenly there was a flash of light and a loud explosion and an entire wall came crashing down. As the dust and smoke cleared, Yamada and Byakuya could clearly make out the form of Kenpachi Zaraki.

"Well, I thought I heard something going on a few rooms over. Seems I was right, hope I'm not crashing your party Kuchiki." The large soul reaper said, strolling into the room. "Oh, Yamada, Captain Sajin wants to see you in the main chamber. Go there quickly." Yamada nodded his head and quickly ran out of the room.

Grantz glared at the new intruder with much confusion. Who is this man? How can he boast such a high spiritual pressure in my chamber? He can't be using bankai here. It's not possible. "Soul reaper, how is it you are using bankai in this chamber? That's impossible here."

Kenpachi roared with laughter. "You stupid espada. You think this is my bankai? If you knew anything about me at all, it should be that I DON'T have a bankai. This is just my raw power!"

This made Grantz blood run cold. But Kenpachi's next words scared him even more. "And I'm not even using my full strength yet. This eye patch I wear seals my true power until I remove it!"

Though a worthy and powerful espada, Grantz owes his capabilities to his advanced research on his opponents before they fall into his traps. But in Kenpachi's case, he did not have a chance to observe the soul reaper beforehand.

Grabbing his eye patch, Zaraki rips it off. The room shudders and a missive amount of energy explodes from the captain. The walls crack and the ceiling collapses in some spots. Grantz shields his face from flying debris. This energy…is so massive and powerful…I've never felt anything like it…"

The next thing Grantz notices is Zaraki running towards him, sword raised high. Grantz blocks his swing just in time, but the captain immediately begins pressing him back. Each swings feels as though it could break his arms. After several hits, Grantz realizes his blade is battered and nearing its breaking point. He begins using his tentacles to block Kenpachi's blows.

Roaring, Kenpachi severes one of the tentacles. Grantz yelled in pain and retraced to the other side of the room. "You mindless barbarian, how dare you!" Not thinking, Grantz lunged to attack Zaraki head-on. The next thing he knew he was in the soul reapers grasp and tossed across the room.

"AAHH!" The espada screamed as he felt electricity course through his body. W-w-what the h-hell did I hit!? What lights were left came back on full and the machine humming stopped.

As Kenpachi approached, Grantz shot his remaining tentacles at him. They grappled onto his legs and arms, holding on tightly. "What the? What is this?!" He roared. The tentacles pulsed and began draining Kenpachi's energy.

"My tentacles have a unique ability to use my enemy's power to my advantage. Healing my wounds and restoring my body to its former condition." He grinned slightly as his wounds began healing.

"But what would happen if these tentacles were severed at their roots?" Byakuya's voice came.

Grantz head shot to the left to see the other captain standing and holding up his Zanpakuto. His eyes went wide as Byakuya activated his shikai.

"Scatter, Senbonzakura." There was no dodging the cloud of petals that suddenly sheared away all four of the tentacles binding Kenpachi. Blood poured from the severed limbs and Grantz cursed as his prey was freed.

"Damn you soul reaper…but are you forgetting I still have your doll!?" He yelled, holding up his Byakuya doll. But before he could do anything, Kenpachi sliced his arm off with one swift strike. "AHH!"

Then Byakuya used his shikai to mutilate his other arm. Grantz sword clattered to the floor. Unarmed, Grantz used sonido to put a gap between them. "Shit…shit.." Grantz grimaced in pain. "How are you able to use shikai!?"

"It was a simple observation. When Kenpachi threw you into that control panel over there, the energy that it emitted was disrupted and thus its effects dissipated." Byakuya stated.

Looking over his wounds Grantz realized his disadvantage. "Damn…I'm going to need some help here…"


End file.
